30. Calder
Calder
“I’m all right,” Ethan protested as I continued to hold him. I could still smell the fear on him, the panic like he was a rabbit chased by a… Well, wolf. “Seriously, Calder. I’m fine. I just got a little spooked is all.”
“I’m sorry,” I replied. It was all I could think to say. “I didn’t mean to lose you in the corn. I just… I didn’t want him to get to you and then I lost you…” I was wracked with guilt at leaving my mate behind. “I’m such a bad protector…”
“Calder,” Ethan cooed, his hand on the back of my neck. “You’ve done a great job protecting me.”
“Not today, I didn’t.”
Ethan finally pulled back, grabbing my chin and forcing me to look him in the eye. “Was that thing even here?” he asked in a whisper. “Or did we just get freaked out about nothing?”
I shook my head again. “I don’t know. Everything just smells like corn and cinnamon.”
Ethan’s brows furrowed and my heart sank. The words had just slipped out without any thought. He thought I was just a regular human and I was so worried about him that I didn’t think before I spoke.
“You… can smell it?” Ethan asked, his eyes darting over me. “Are you like a super human or something?”
“No, no! It’s not that… it’s just…” Fuck I was terrible at backpedaling. “I mean, that night I came to your place and the heart was there… Well, there was a really distinct smell. Like a wet animal of some kind.”
“Okay…” He didn’t look like he believed me. “Well, it’s not raining right now, so why would it smell like that?”
“You’re right,” I admitted, even though it was a lie. “That’s dumb. I… I didn’t even think about that.”
Ethan’s mouth lifted into a half-grin. “It’s alright. We were both panicked. Brains are weird when they don’t have time to think things through.”
“Yeah. My bad.” Disaster avoided. “But I didn’t see anything weird either. Maybe it was just a kid running around or something.”
“A really heavy one,” Ethan chuckled. “With giant boots.”
“I think I saw a couple like in the donut line,” I lied again, shooting him a smile. “Look at us, getting worked up over nothing. I feel dumb.”
Ethan was laughing now. “Me too,” he added. Then he took my hand, squeezing it tight. “But it’s really romantic that you wanted to protect me. And that you came back for me.” He leaned close, pressing a kiss to my neck where my skin instantly began to burn with delight. “That means a lot to me.”
I pulled him closer, breathing in his scent to calm my racing heart. The terror I'd felt when I realized we'd been separated had nearly driven my wolf completely feral. Every instinct had screamed at me to tear through the maze until I found him, consequences be damned.
"Let's get out of here," I murmured against his hair. "I think we've had enough adventure for one day."
Ethan nodded, his fingers still trembling slightly as they intertwined with mine. "Which way?
I lifted my head, letting my enhanced senses guide us without being too obvious. The scent of car exhaust and fried food from the main area was faint but detectable to the northeast.
"This way," I said, leading him down a path that would take us toward the entrance.
As we walked, I couldn't shake the feeling that we were still being watched. My wolf paced restlessly beneath my skin, every nerve ending on high alert. Something had been in that maze with us. I was certain of it. The scent had been too familiar, too predatory to dismiss as my imagination. But I didn’t want to worry Ethan.
The creature was long gone now, scared off by the hoards of people coming to the cider mill now that it was getting close to dark.
I was certain it didn’t want to risk exposure, especially when the Elder Council and my pack were hot on its tail.
"Hey," Ethan said softly, squeezing my forearm as we exited the maze at last. “You doing okay? You’re still pretty tense.”
I forced my shoulders to relax, trying to project the calm confidence he needed from me. "Yeah. Sorry. Just a little wound up I guess.”
“Anything I can do to help?”
I glanced over at him, catching a hint of that coy smile. I knew exactly what he meant. In fact, I’d already caught the scent of his arousal as we left the maze. He wanted me again. It was surprising how insatiable this little human could be.
“It’s gonna be dark soon,” I said, lowering my voice to a growl. “And I know a park nearby where we could… you know.”
Ethan didn’t miss a beat. “I love parks. Especially ones with very private paths in the woods.”
I nodded. “You’re gonna love this one then.”
Hanging a helmet to Ethan, I swung a leg over my bike.
A moment later he climbed up behind me, the heat of him seeping through my clothing.
His pheromones were thick now and driving me wild.
Not to mention, the very prominent throbbing of his cock pressed against my lower back left little to be wondered at. He wanted this as badly as I did.
The sun set quickly as we drove and less than fifteen minutes later, we pulled into one of the state parks just on the outskirts of town.
It was well traveled in the summer by tourists, but now that the season was over, the place was barely touched.
But that suited me just fine. We wouldn’t have to go far to find a private place and let it all out.
The parking area was empty except for a single maintenance truck near the restrooms. Perfect. I killed the engine and helped Ethan off the bike, his hands immediately finding my waist as his feet hit the ground.
"God, that ride," he breathed against my ear. "Feeling you between my legs like that..."
I growled low in my throat, my hands sliding down to grip his hips. "You have no idea what you do to me, pup."
The pet name made him shiver, his pupils dilating in the gathering dusk. I drank up every second of it. "Show me."
I didn't need to be asked twice. Taking his hand, I led him toward the trail that wound into the dense forest. The path was well-maintained but narrow, flanked by towering pines that blocked out most of the remaining daylight.
My enhanced vision had no trouble navigating, but I slowed my pace for Ethan's benefit.
"How do you know about this place?" he asked, his voice hushed in the cathedral quiet of the woods.
"I come here sometimes when I need to think. To be alone." What I didn't say was that I came here when my wolf needed to run free, when the weight of pack responsibilities and Council politics became too much to bear in human form.
We walked for maybe five minutes before I found what I was looking for. There was a small clearing off the main trail, hidden by a thick stand of evergreens. The forest floor was carpeted with fallen pine needles, soft and fragrant beneath our feet.
"This is perfect," Ethan whispered, turning in my arms as I pulled him close.
In the filtered dim light, he looked ethereal, beautiful in a way that made my chest ache. His green eyes were dark with lust, his lips parted slightly as he looked up at me with complete trust.
"Are you sure about this?" I asked.
"No one's going to find us," he said firmly, his fingers tugging at my belt. "And even if they did, I don't care. I need you in my mouth, Calder. Right now."
The raw honesty in his voice broke the last of my restraint. I captured his mouth in a hungry kiss, walking him backward until his back hit the rough bark of a massive pine. He gasped at the contact, arching into me as I pressed the full length of my body against his.
"Fuck, you taste so good," I growled against his lips, my tongue sweeping into his mouth. He tasted like cinnamon and apple cider, sweet and warm.
His hands fumbled with my zipper until I finally felt the denim slip away, my thick cock springing free. Ethan grasped it firmly, dropping to his knees. Before I could utter a word, I nearly swallowed me whole in one go.
“Fuck,” I hissed, hands braced against the tree as my fingers dug into the bark. “Goddamn, you weren’t kidding…”
Ethan mumbled a reply I didn’t understand, but he was too busy working my cockhead with his tongue to repeat himself.
The wet heat of his mouth around me sent shockwaves through my entire body.
My wolf whined with pleasure as Ethan worked me with expert precision, his tongue swirling around my sensitive head before taking me deeper.
The contrast of the cool evening air and his warm mouth was driving me to the edge already.
"Jesus, Ethan," I panted, one hand tangling in his blonde hair. "You're going to kill me."
He pulled off with a wet pop, looking up at me with those gorgeous green eyes. "That's the idea," he said with a wicked grin before diving back down to trace his tongue along the underside of my shaft.
The sounds he was making were obscene, little moans and whimpers that vibrated against my cock and made my knees weak. I had to brace myself more firmly against the tree to keep from collapsing as he worked me over with single-minded determination.
"Wait," I gasped, tugging gently at his hair. "Stop."
He looked up at me with concern. "Did I do something wrong?"
"No, God no. You're perfect, pup." I helped him to his feet, my hands immediately going to the button of his jeans. "But I want to taste you too."
His breath hitched as I freed his cock from his boxers, hard and leaking for me. The scent of his arousal was intoxicating, making my mouth water and my wolf pace restlessly beneath my skin.
"Turn around," I commanded softly.
Ethan's eyes widened but he obeyed, pressing his palms against the rough bark. I dropped to my knees behind him, my hands spreading his cheeks as I leaned forward to drag my tongue across his tight pink hole.
"Oh fuck," he cried out, his voice echoing through the trees. "Calder, yes!"
I worked him with my tongue until he was trembling, his legs barely able to support him. Only then did I stand, positioning myself behind him as I slicked my cock with spit. This entire thing was going hot and fast, but I couldn’t stop myself. I needed to fuck him.
"Ready for me, pup?" I asked, the head of my cock pressing against his prepared entrance.
"Please," he whimpered. "Fuck me."
I pushed forward slowly, both of us groaning at the exquisite sensation of being joined. Here in the forest, surrounded by the scent of pine and earth, with my mate trembling beneath me, I felt more complete than I ever had before.
"Fuck," I growled as I began to move, each thrust claiming him more completely. “This isn’t gonna take long.”
"I don’t care," he replied breathlessly. His hand was between his legs, stroking himself in time with my movements. “I’m not gonna last either.”
He pushed back against me, meeting each thrust with equal fervor. My wolf howled inside me and it took everything I had not to join in. Ethan’s ass was just too good, far better than anything else I’d ever had. Everything about him was perfect.
"Calder," he gasped, his voice breaking on my name. "I'm close. So close."
I reached around to wrap my hand around his cock, stroking him faster as I fucked him. His body tensed beneath me, every muscle going rigid as he approached his peak.
"Do it, pup," I growled in his ear. "Cum for me."
With a cry that seemed to echo through the entire forest, Ethan shattered in my arms. His release painted the tree bark in front of him as his body clenched around me, triggering my own orgasm.
I buried myself deep inside him with a roar, my vision going white as pleasure crashed over me in waves as I filled him with my seed.
We stayed like that for long moments, both of us breathing heavily as we came down from the high. My cock still pulsed inside him, ready for more. But he pulled away from me, groaning from being bent over at such a strange angle for so long.
“Fuck that was good,” he sighed, turning around and pulling me into a sloppy kiss.
“Yeah it was,” I replied, loving the way his tongue danced against mine. I wrapped my hand around his ass, tracing his hole where my cum was slowly leaking out. “Everything with you is… incredible.”
I felt him smile against my lips. He knew I meant every word.